“There will be VAs who will just settle for doing what their clients ask them to do and there’s nothing wrong with that. But for me, the key to building long-term and lasting work relationship with the client is by doing more and creating more opportunities to grow into the business.”
Marivic’s journey of working with her client Kim is like coming home. All her years of going from client to client, doing role after role has prepared her to become Kim’s trusted right-hand woman. As Kim’s trusted employee, Marivic helps to hold the fort while Kim spends time expanding her business. This beautiful pairing of virtual assistant and client is something that we’re so happy to share. From a professional relationship – one meant to support and build a business enterprise, these ladies have developed a meaningful personal relationship. Often lifting and supporting each other, together, they are able to achieve success in every area they’ve worked so hard for.
Life before Outsourcing Angel
As a freelance virtual assistant, Marivic had worked with many outsourcing companies. In some companies, the process was very straightforward: a virtual assistant is assigned to work with a client and deliver the work at the end of the day. With the agencies that Marivic used to work for, she went from project to project and job to job. It was a challenge to find a project or client that was willing or able to employ her for a substantial period. This level of insecurity was a difficult time for her because she felt like she was just another number and nothing more.
Additionally, virtual assistants were not usually given the opportunity to converse with each other. Before Outsourcing Angel, Marivic used to work “solo”. What was missing was having the social aspect of working with someone or in a team to provide not only support for work, but confidence and faith in her abilities, and her potential to grow as a virtual assistant. This lack of support was not easy to handle, and it made Marivic feel lonely at times. Things changed after Marivic found Outsourcing Angel.
An Eye Opening Experience
Kim is one of Marivic’s first clients here at Outsourcing Angel. As a part-time virtual assistant, she was assigned to be the overall admin assistant to Kim.
- Her initial tasks included:
- Checking and monitoring salon payments
- Monitoring membership fee payments
- Doing inventory
Eventually, her tasks became routine and she got used to the workflow with Kim, which allowed her time to explore other areas where she could lend a hand. She started suggesting some small value-adding projects to Kim’s business such as creating a manual, designing branded documents and templates.
She also assisted Kim in conducting research to aid Kim’s business expansion plans. She offered to manage Kims social media accounts, but as she was much more effective in her admin role, Kim decided to give her additional responsibilities. Marivic’s responsibilities expanded to include tasks such as managing payroll and updating manuals and processes within Kim’s business.
Throughout, Marivic keeps an open communication path with her client, Kim. She continues to conduct research and presents possibilities for potentially branching out Kim’s business. Marivic has also become invested and dedicated to Kim’s business, constantly offering suggestions to Kim to develop her expertise in her trade. Marivic has helped free up Kim’s time, so that Kim can focus more on her strategic development, can take the time to weigh in on important decisions, and can explore ways to take her business to the next level. This gift of time is something so precious and highly appreciated. Marivic and Kim have developed a relationship where they challenge each other to continually achieve greater goals.
Growing in Her Career and Growing the Business
The confidence that Kim instilled in Marivic as her admin assistant has made Marivic so excited to come to work each day. The trust that Kim has in Marivic allows her to work autonomously, and Marivic takes an active and vested interest in exploring ways to grow Kim’s business. Marivic has high hopes in her client’s business, she sees its tremendous potential and feels that being a part of its growth is like being a part of something that’s bigger than her. She’s happy to have found a client who believes in her, who is willing to listen to her suggestions and is sincere in letting Marivic grow professionally.
Today, Marivic is not only a dedicated virtual assistant for Kim but also Outsourcing Angel’s Virtual Office Manager. There are lots of big plans and big challenges ahead in Kim’s business, but she’s confidently charging forward as Marivic stands as a strong reliable support behind her. In addition, Marivic is also given such a great opportunity to hone her virtual assistant management skills by fulfilling the role of part-time Virtual Office Manager and she got Kim’s full support for her to pursue this path in her career.
